‘There’s a strong relationship between the Vancouver Canucks and the men’s hockey team, so we’re right beside them fighting the fight’

Defenceman Kevin Bieksa and many of his Vancouver Canucks teammates have used ice time at UBC in recent years as well as scrimmaged against Thunderbird players, particularly during the lockout that disrupted the 2012-13 NHL season. Here Bieksa poses for a photograph with a UBC student at Thunderbird Arena in September 2011.

Photograph by: PNG files
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VANCOUVER — Kevin Bieksa and many of his Vancouver Canucks teammates feel like there is a kinship of sorts with the UBC men’s hockey team.

And with the century-old UBC program now in a real fight for its survival, Bieksa hopes he and his teammates can help save it.

It’s a fight similar to one Bieksa helped wage recently at his own alma mater, Bowling Green University in Ohio.

“We went through something similar at Bowling Green three or four years ago,” Bieksa said. “A new athletic director came in and wanted to make some budget cuts and hockey was on the block for getting cut next. The alumni rallied together and saved it. I think it’s the same sort of situation here where they are trying to save some money and cut some sports.”

The Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center at UBC became the hockey home for many of the Canucks during last season’s NHL lockout. The players skated and trained there several times a week and got to know coach Milan Dragicevic and members of the UBC team.

Bieksa organized a highly successful sold-out charity hockey game, billed as Bieksa’s Buddies, with the UBC men’s team serving as the opposition.

“We’ll do the best we can to support hockey because they gave us a place to workout and train and skate during the (lockout) and obviously the game we had there raised $200,000 for charity,” Bieksa said. “We couldn’t do that without the program there. There’s a lot of history there, so there are a lot of guys in this dressing room that are going to support that and lend a helping hand and try to save the program.”

The men’s hockey program was not among the 16 teams that made last week’s cut in UBC’s controversial review of its 29 varsity sports programs. The men’s hockey program, along with 12 others, now must make another last-ditch presentation to the university in hopes of surviving. A decision on its future is expected in mid-February.

Dragicevic, now in his 12th year as coach of the men’s hockey program at UBC, held exploratory talks Friday with members of the Canucks organization. Neither side would comment specifically on those talks, but Dragicevic confirmed Monday that UBC hopes to strike a formal partnership with both the Canucks and the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants.

“This is something that UBC has expressed interest in us doing,” Dragicevic said. “So it’s something we are definitely going to pursue.”

Bieksa hopes he and his teammates can help raise awareness about the plight of the UBC men’s program.

“Well, it seems like right now we can lend our support and help raise awareness,” Bieksa said. “There’s petitions going around, I have been talking with the coaches a little bit, (assistant coach) Tyler Kuntz and Milan, and we’ll do what we can right now to support them. Obviously, there’s a strong relationship between the Vancouver Canucks and the men’s hockey team, so we’re right beside them fighting the fight.”

Winger Daniel Sedin was one of the Canucks who skated regularly at UBC during the lockout.

“They’re good guys and it seems like a good program, too,” Sedin said. “They were good to us during the lockout. We have to find out more about the situation … I have met a few people that are involved. I don’t think they know what is going to happen, either. We have to look into the situation to see if we can help.”

Defenceman Kevin Bieksa and many of his Vancouver Canucks teammates have used ice time at UBC in recent years as well as scrimmaged against Thunderbird players, particularly during the lockout that disrupted the 2012-13 NHL season. Here Bieksa poses for a photograph with a UBC student at Thunderbird Arena in September 2011.

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